Almost half of the people with social media accounts have admitted to falling for shopping scams. So, if your staff does their last-minute Christmas shopping while at work, how can you be sure the business is protected?
Research shows 47% of people have clicked on links hoping to get a great deal but instead ended up giving financial and personal details to cyber criminals.
That could mean they’re putting their data and money at risk, and your device and your data could be exposed, too.
It’s not just shopping scams that fool people. Phishing links have tricked 36% of people into revealing personal data. Phishing is when you get an email that seems to be from a person or brand you trust, but it’s not.
The exact number that has fallen for gift card scams – that’s where criminals gain victims’ trust and persuade them to buy gift cards or online vouchers.
Suppose an employee clicks a malicious link and downloads a malicious file using their work device. In that case, the results for the business can be devastating, with the risks going beyond just loss of data and reputation. The cost of downtime while you get going again, is enough to put many people out of business for good.
So how can you protect your business against this kind of scam regardless of the time of the year?
And having the right cyber security tools in place – such as firewalls, antivirus software, and strong password management would help. And if you focus on training your staff because it is simply the best line of defense for people to recognize a threat when they see one.
Please ensure they know the latest scams and the warning signs to look out for. Advise everyone to check that links are genuine, websites are the real deal and be suspicious of offers that look too good to be true.
And have a firm plan in place that kicks at the moment a security breach is spotted. Employees should all know to report incidents immediately and whom they should inform. Acting quickly often lessens the impact of a data breach and makes it faster and less expensive to fix.
If you’d like further help or advice, get in touch.
#SocialMedia #ShoppingScams #CyberSecurity
